MFE Inspection Solutions has developed the MFE Detect LW, a long-wave, uncooled OGI camera that can be carried by a drone and meets the EPA’s 40 CFR part 60 Appendix K requirements as part of OOOOa, b, and c.
Typical optical gas imaging (OGI) cameras are expensive, and if users need one that will meet the EPA’s 40 CFR part 60 Appendix K requirements (including Quad OA), prices are even higher and options are limited.
As well as this, most OGI cameras can only be used on the ground. This means they can only capture around 80% of required data, since 20% of data will be at eye level or higher.
The MFE Detect LW was designed as a solutions to these challenges, a long-wave, uncooled OGI camera which:
- Meets the EPA’s 40 CFR part 60 Appendix K requirements
- Can be carried by a drone (DJI’s Matrice 300 and 350)
- Was created with affordable pricing in mind
- Comes with AI-powered software to identify leaks in OGI footage
DJI Partnership
MFE Inspection Solutions has been working on the Detect LW for a number of years. In 2020, the company launched an OGI camera in partnership with DJI that would be drone-compatible, allowing Oil and Gas operations to collect optical gas data from the air without having to use expensive crewed aircraft or scaffolding.
Sierra Olympia Collaboration
MFE Inspection Solutions also worked with Sierra Olympia to develop a lower-cost solution to meet the EPA’s 40 CFR part 60 Appendix K requirements.
Working closely with Sierra Olympia, the company was able to develop the long-wave, uncooled sensor that comes in the Detect LW, reportedly the first Quad OA-compliant sensor of its kind specifically for methane detection.
Field Testing
The Detect LW passed 67 field tests in collaboration Chevron’s BakerRisk Testing, collecting high-quality data that allowed inspectors to spot both the 19 gr/hr leak and the 5 kg/hr leak at 300 feet, along with dozens of others.
AI Software for Automated Leak Detection
MFE developed an AI-powered leak detection software to help companies meet the EPA’s requirements. The software automates leak detection, allowing companies to automatically analyze their OGI data.
Inspection personnel can simply capture video using their OGI camera, then the software will analyze it and help find potential leaks.
The software is completely hardware agnostic, meaning users can use the software with data from any OGI camera, not just the Detect LW.
Jeff Leake, VP of Sales at Sierra Olympia, commented, “The EPA’s OOOOb is going into effect, and it requires Oil and Gas companies to do more inspections than ever before. MFE’s new OGI camera, combined with its AI software, will allow companies to keep up with that new volume. And that’s a huge win for these companies.”
Cody Menchaca, sUAS Product Line Manager at MFE Inspection Solutions, added, “We looked around and asked ourselves, how can we make this more affordable, more scalable as all these regulations are coming down the pike for Oil and Gas.”
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